Environmental groups have said the blazes are also negatively impacting the climate.

A fire burns in highway margins in the city of Porto Velho, Rondonia state, part of Brazil’s Amazon, late last month. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)(AP)

“In addition to increasing emissions, deforestation contributes directly to a change in rainfall patterns in the affected region, extending the length of the dry season, further affecting forests, biodiversity, agriculture and human health,” Greenpeace said in a statement.